History and Monsters

Doctor Who did a historical episode this week – at least a historical setting with added monsters. I think they do these particularly well, I suppose historical dramas are the BBC’s forte anyway, but Thin Ice, set during the last of the great Thames frost fares, looked absolutely magnificent. However, even though I am now back into the escapist world of the Whoniverse, I haven’t given up on chasing around after Scotland’s historical settings. In fact I visited one earlier in the day.

Echlo Castle

I have to admit that I had never heard of Elcho Castle until the middle of last week and one of the main reasons for visiting it is that I fancied a drive through Fife on Saturday. However, it is an absolute delight – originally built in 1560 it is less a fortification and more an extremely well preserved example of a grand residence. The bulk of the building is intact and it is possible to wander through the spiral staircases and even up on to the roof to get a real idea of what it must have looked like in it’s prime.

Echlo Castle Dining Hall

Anyway, aside from chasing around the Kingdom of Fife I did watch Doctor Who and, for a change, actually at the time it was broadcast (a rarity for me for any TV outside of news and sport). I loved the episode as a whole. I suppose the story itself was rather slight but Bill is becoming one of my favourite assistants in years – an actual fully rounded character rather than a plot device. She seems to have a real chemistry with Peter Capaldi and her reactions to him seem very genuine. I can’t quite pin it down but I think it is best explained that if she wasn’t a character in Doctor Who she would actually be the sort of person who was fanatical about the show and attending Sci-Fi conventions.

Peter Capaldi was in great form this week as well. Often it is just the little touches – like his mischievous look of delight on rescuing his sonic screwdriver having failed to save a child but also his inherent kindness towards the other children. As a bonus we got to see him punch out the lights of the obnoxious Lord Sutcliffe – arguably the best twatting the Doctor has dealt out since the late, great Jon Pertwee’s last fist fight. Anyway, next week he will be facing those creepy looking wooden people – and Hercule Poirot apparently…